Fustic
Chlorophora tinctoria
An extract prepared from the heartwood of a tree from the Mulberry family, Chlorophora tinctoria. Fustic produces a range of colours from daffodil yellow to deep gold to orange. When used as an underdye with indigo Fustic yields forest greens and teals. Fustic has a high light and washfastness and exposure to strong sunlight may actually darken colours.
See the MAIWA GUIDE TO NATURAL DYES
Mordanting for yellows & browns: Use alum mordant at 15% WOF for protein fibres and then, in a separate bath, use fustic (see below).
For cellulose fibres either 1) Just use fustic alone at 2-4% or 2) for a deeper colour, use a clear tannin (like oak gall) and then alum at 15% and soda ash at 2% and then a separate fustic dyebath (see below)
Dyeing with the extract: Use at 4-6% WOF for a medium depth of shade. Keep the dyebath temperature at about 85ºC (185ºF) for wool and cotton and 77ºC (170ºF) for silk. At a higher temperatures the colour will turn to a dull brown yellow.
Options: With the addition of iron at 2-4% WOF fustic yields beautiful sage greens. By dyeing in a copper pot or adding clean copper pennies to the dyebath, clear yellows will emerge. When combined with madder or cochineal, fustic will give true reds, when mixed with logwood purple, fustic will give rich olive greens.
Below: Fustic Extract 5% WOF
